


Personal Business

by misura



Category: Healer and Seer Series - Victoria Hanley
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-09
Updated: 2020-02-09
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:00:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,411
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22635547
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/misura/pseuds/misura
Summary: Dahmis decides to make Bellanes an offer he might very well refuse.
Relationships: Landen of Bellandra/Dahmis
Comments: 2
Kudos: 6





	Personal Business

Dahmis hadn't been sure that Bellanes would bother showing up in response to a message as vague as the one he had sent. The truth was, he hadn't quite known what to write.

He did not have any mission he wanted Bellanes to undertake in exchange for a generous reward. Dahmis the High King had no business with Bellanes. This was strictly personal.

It worried Dahmis that sometimes, he felt as if he was losing the parts of him that weren't the High King. Michal had teased him about it for weeks after Dahmis had told him. "You're you, whether you're wearing a crown or a farmer's hat," he'd told Dahmis. "Stop worrying about silly stuff like that."

After that, Dahmis had thought better of trying to talk about his concerns with Larseld.

Bellanes, on the other hand ... was there a distinction between Bellanes the legendary thief and Bellanes the man? If there was, Dahmis had no intention of forcing Bellanes to show a side of himself to Dahmis that he did not yet want to reveal. He only wanted to talk to someone who would understand, rather than joke about it.

Michal was Dahmis's oldest friend. By contrast, Dahmis had only known Bellanes for months. And yet he felt ready to trust Bellanes with anything, trusting Bellanes to keep his confidence.

Some people might consider that a bit reckless.

Other people, like Michal, thought it was fine, but they felt that slipping away disguised as an ordinary soldier, or a messenger, or a farmer meant putting his safety at unnecessary risk.

Dahmis understood their concerns. Still, as soon as Bellanes got here, Dahmis would have one of the greatest warriors in the kingdoms to protect him. That should satisfy even Larseld.

How one of the greatest warriors alive had also come to one of the most skilled thieves was just one more mystery Dahmis had no intention of solving. If Bellanes wanted to tell him, Dahmis would listen, but he had promised himself that he would not pry. Besides, Ardesen had already written him, complaining about Bellanes's tight-lippedness concerning his past, and requesting that Dahmis would share anything he might find out while promising that he would do the same.

Dahmis had not yet decided how to reply. Perhaps he wouldn't. That would be the easiest solution.

"You wanted to see me." Bellanes had come alone.

Dahmis decided that it was a sign of trust. He felt flattered, though surely no one with any sense would try to harm Bellanes. Far too many kings and other people had reason to be grateful to him for this or that service. "Yes," he said, noting again how Bellanes did not show the least deference.

Bellanes nodded. "I am here." As always, his accent teased at Dahmis's memory. He knew it from somewhere, had heard it before - but where? When? Messengers from all kingdoms travelled to his court, yet Dahmis knew that none of them had spoken with Bellanes's accent.

"Thank you," Dahmis said. It seemed polite.

Bellanes shrugged. "You asked, and I did not have any other urgent business."

Dahmis almost laughed. Most, maybe even all, people would drop everything and come running if he ordered them to do so. He was the High King, after all.

Bellanes seemed to read some of his feelings off of his face. His expression turned a little amused. "So what would you like me to steal? Or did you call me here for some other reason?"

"Some other reason," Dahmis admitted. He felt a bit shy all of a sudden, like a boy about to try and kiss a girl for the first time. "Something personal."

Bellanes arched an eyebrow. "Personal?" He sounded curious.

Dahmis wondered how best to broach the subject. He'd promised himself not to pry, and yet - "It is said that you like women, but have never taken a lover - or a wife."

"People say many things about me," Bellanes said. "Some are truer than others." He hesitated for a moment. "It is true that I like women. And men, on occasion. Sadly, in some places, that is held against a man, so I keep such affairs secret. I see no reason what business of anyone else it is who shares my bed, provided they do so willingly. Does that answer your question?"

"I did not ask any questions," Dahmis pointed out.

Bellanes smiled. "That's true. Still, I think there was something you wanted to know about me."

 _I want to know everything there is to know about you,_ Dahmis did not say. He knew very well how such a declaration would be met - and deservedly so. What right did Dahmis have to any of Bellanes's secrets? Was it not enough that Bellanes had given him his service, his loyalty, his friendship? Those were things far more valuable than information Dahmis would have no use for anyway, other than to satisfy his curiosity.

"Well?" Bellanes asked, as if he were a king, and Dahmis one of his subjects, slower than he liked in responding to something he had asked.

"I - " Dahmis sought for the right words. In the end, he decided to keep it simple. "I would be willing."

Bellanes's eyes widened, his expression one of complete surprise. Dahmis supposed he should be relieved that at least his words had been understood. Now it was to Bellanes to respond.

Dahmis did not doubt that if Bellanes did not want him in his bed, he would simply say so. The rejection would hurt, but Dahmis would not let it affect their friendship, and he knew Bellanes wouldn't either. Quite how he knew this, he could not say.

"You - I'm flattered." For the first time, Bellanes looked at him as if he saw Dahmis, the High King.

Sadly, that was not quite the response Dahmis had hoped for. "I didn't say it to flatter you."

"No." Bellanes's expression went back to normal. "It is true nonetheless. I admire you. I treasure the fact that we are friends. The idea of having you as my lover, even for a single night, makes me very happy."

As simple as that! Dahmis felt humbled. He'd fretted over this for weeks, if not months, wondering how to arrange this meeting, what to wear, what to say, how to make it clear that his intentions were, for lack of a better term, strictly dishonorable, in the sense that he had no intention of offering Bellanes any sort of official position or standing.

He'd almost driven Michal and Larseld crazy, forcing them to start playing chess again, as an excuse not to listen to his questions or requests for advice.

"So." Bellanes grinned. "It seems we are agreed, then. Is there a nice, clean bed anywhere near?"

"I rented a room in a village about a mile east from here," Dahmis said. Michal's suggestion and one of his few good ones. Dahmis did not think Bellanes would have been impressed by his reciting poetry, though chances were Michal had only intended that one as a joke.

"Good," Bellanes approved. "That will do very well, I expect. We should have more than enough daylight left to make it there in time for supper and a bath."

"I also brought a few bottles of wine." That one had been Larseld's. Dahmis had no intention of experiencing tonight too drunk to remember anything in the morning, but a few glasses of wine might give a man a bit of extra courage and daring when he needed it.

"You must have been more confident in my reply than you seemed," Bellanes said, his tone light and teasing. "To have come here so well prepared."

"I wasn't sure that you'd show up at all," Dahmis confessed. "I only hoped you would, and prepared accordingly."

Bellanes nodded. "Sometimes, it's good to plan for the best possible future. If things don't turn out the way you'd hoped, there's time enough to grieve and try to fix what you can. And if it all goes as you'd hoped, why put yourself through the trouble of worrying over everything that might have gone wrong?"

"My general would disagree with you," Dahmis said.

Bellanes shrugged. "I'm a thief, not a general. Shall we go? I believe I have worked up a considerable appetite."

Dahmis rather doubted he'd taste even a single bite of supper, no matter how tasty. Still, he nodded and followed Bellanes to where their horses stood waiting.


End file.
